What is the oldest gun you own?

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I saw this on another site and thought it might be a good topic to start here.

I have an old muzzle loader that's stamped "1813 Harpers Ferry". My great, great grandfather passed it down to my great grandfather and so on. Being the first born son my dad decided I should have it. Unfortunately it's seen better days. My Dad isn't much of a gun guy and the barrel (inside) is pretty rusty, I don't know if I'll ever try to clean and fire it. From what my dad told me it had been used to put meat on the table back in the days of my grandfathers.

Army

WOW what a family heirloom. Sorry to say the only real C&R weapon I have is a 1911 Enfield British 303. My dad got a good deal on them and bought 3 and gave me one. It's in decent shape but has seen some use thats for sure. I've yet to shoot it as I am trying to get the barrel cleaned out enough to safely shoot. It almost looks like dirt build up in there but could be cosmoline.

Nothing special, just a remington pump 22lr Model 12 that was made in 1911. I bought it because it reminded me of when I was little. My older brother (that I still shoot with) would set me up on a stool every time we saw a shooting gallery at fairs, carnivals, Geneva on the lake, ect. I still get a grin on my face when I take it to the pistol range to plink at the steal.

Cool topic, i've nothing as old as ya'll. My oldest is 1942 M-1 carbine that my father-in-law carried in WW-2. It was built by New Postal Meter and is in grade a condition. I've yet to fire it but i will this summer. My father-in-law was in the navy so im sure it was fired very little. Strangely, it has an artillery insignia on the stock?

I don't own anything that old. i have a .38 snub nose taurus and it was..." made when s&W was still t here making guns instead of just taurus." This is all i could understand my husband telling me so not sure I got it right lol. I guess this means it is one of the good ones lol.

He on the other hand has a few I don't even know what they are. I do know when I got my last one the shop had a walther pp and I guess it is really old and he really wanted it so it was his early Christmas present

I thought I would revive this thread to see if anyone else had bought any new/old guns out there. About 15 years ago I picked up an Ithaca double barrel in 20 gauge. It was manufactured around 1914 and has the Damascus barrels. It is a field grade gun and has seen a lot of hunting in its day. It's not something I would ever shoot, but it's a good conversation piece.

Jim

J

Josh Smith

I got it in my head several months back that I wanted a Mauser. I went to a few gunstores and they all wanted around $400 to $600 for one. Nope. All had bent bolt handles, too, and I wanted a straight one, being a lefty and all.

So I saw this thing in my favorite gunstore. Said "Amberg 88" or some danged thing on it. It had been sitting there for the better part of the year.

The gunstore owner said he wanted to see it gone, and he'd make me a deal. It had rust in the bore but looked OK overall.

I called up a friend who knows some about these things, told me some of what to check for. I told the gunstore owner that I'd have to come back for it after doing some research as I didn't know if it would be a wall hanger or a shooter, though I do like a project.

He told me that I know how he dislikes old milsurps. I know... too much research to find their value. He also knows how I like a project and to make an offer. I told him I didn't feel right doing so because I'd likely insult him.

He said he was thinking 50 bucks.

Not to pass up a deal, I came back with "How about 25?"

"40."

"30."

"35."

"Sold!" says I. $37.50 out the door.

I got it home and pulled it apart. One dent, very little surface rust -- just one spot on what appeared to be a hood on the barrel. The barrel was pristine under that hood. I had been afraid maybe it was rusted through.

Happily, it was not.

I was pushing what looked like mud out of the barrel, and after liberal amounts of Fluid Film and bore brushes wrapped in steel wool, it started to shine.

Not the best bore I've ever seen, but far from the worst. I've seen worse bores on Mosin-Nagants shoot well.

Josh Smith

With shooting, the bore is cleaned up. It shines now and there are only a couple dark spots in it that look like rust.

This rifle originally saw action in a Bavarian reserve regiment before being shipped to Turkey for WWI (and you know it had 0.323" ammo shot through it there!).

This is, in my opinion, almost the perfect rifle. The sights are precise and the barrel (mine is reenforced) is floated for all intents and purposes by using that sleeve.

I would really only change the bolt. The lugs are a bit weak, and really should have a third. It's already been modified to 88/05 standards.

It kicks hard, in prone. I'm not willing to put a recoil pad on it, though, as length-of-pull is perfect for me. Might end up investing in a P.A.S.T. pad as I have a bruised collarbone after five shots prone with 200grn bullets. I'm not a recoil wuss and do this regularly with the Mosin-Nagant, but this rifle is a bit lighter!

The tall Mauser sight blank from Brownell's worked perfectly, and now it shoots POA.